The standing citizens’ panel for 2022 was created to advise council on pre-determined issues over the course of the year. This was inspired by the success of the previous year’s citizens panel and it is expected that there will be a standing panel each year.
Problems and Purpose
The purpose of the standing citizens’ panel was to meet and deliberate on various issues that impact the Mornington Peninsula and provide recommendations to the council. The topics for deliberation were decided by the council and included infrastructure matters, future planning and community concerns. [1]
Background History and Context
The Morning Peninsula Shire Council set up a citizens’ panel in 2021 to help develop a Community Vision to 2040. Building on extensive community feedback, this citizens’ panel was very successful and caused the Council to set up another panel to help with decisions and plan to do so every year. [2] & [3]
Organizing, Supporting, and Funding Entities
MosaicLab was responsible for designing and facilitating the panel. [4]
44 Mornington Peninsula Shire Council staff took part, including “expert speakers, engagement support or observers.” [5] Observers were responsible for ensuring proper processes were followed. [6]
Participant Recruitment and Selection
30 panel members took part in the end [7], however the panel began with 45 members. [8] Panelists were selected using random stratified sampling from those who expressed interest in response to invitations. [9] Recruitment was done by the Sortition Foundation. [10]
The demographics of the panel was split to around 44% male and 55% female, 76% home owners and 24% renters/other. Ages were grouped and ranged from 16 to over 70. [11] It was noted that not as many young people (under 35) expressed interest in taking part. This would be taken into account when recruiting for the 2023 standing citizens’ panel. [12]
Methods and Tools Used
Deliberative methods.
What Went On: Process, Interaction, and Participation
The panel met for eight sessions in hybrid formats. There were two face-to-face sessions (the first and final sessions) and six online. One of the key reasons for hosting online sessions was for safety, mainly so that panelists would not have to travel in the dark to meetings during winter. [13]
Sessions were three hours and focused on one topic per session. After each panel, a report was written to be shared with participants at the start of the following panel and to feed into a final report at the end of the year. [14]
Panelists met in March, April, June, July, August, September, October and November. [15]
Each session is summarised below: [16]
- Meet and Greet (face-to-face). Panelists got to meet each other and learn about their involvement on the panel. They heard from key council staff, as well as members from the previous citizens’ panel on the Community Vision panel, and MosaicLab who explained the panel process.
- Session 1 (online). Panelists were given an overview of what the council does and given an opportunity to ask any questions.
- Session 2 (online). This session involved the Council sharing its Asset Plan with panelists and seeking their input on two dilemmas facing the Council over community infrastructure.
- Session 3 (online). The panel was asked to consider the possible consequences of and steps for the Mornington Peninsula being re-classified as peri-regional, which would enable access to better funding and resources for the Peninsula's large rural area as well as it’s urban centre.
- Session 4 (online). This session was an Innovation Summit and focused on the peninsula’s “economic development over the next 10 years.” Panelists heard from people involved in businesses (including some on the panel) and identified nine main themes around challenges and opportunities for the business sector.
- Session 5 (online). Panelists made recommendations to the council on where it should prioritize resources for transparency when it comes to rates spending and making sure residents are satisfied with maintenance services.
- Session 6 (online). This session focused on climate change and how to offset emissions and included considerations of what households should focus on and where council should focus resources.
- Session 7 (online). The citizens’ panel provided recommendations, in response to questions and information, on the following topics: affordable housing, planning permits, potholes and 2021 storm response, and Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement to Country protocols.
- Session 8 (face-to-face). Time of reflection of the process. Participants received a certificate of appreciation and a $500 gift card to thank them for their involvement.
A final report was produced by MosaicLab on behalf of the panel and for the Mornington Peninsula Shire Council. [17]
Influence, Outcomes, and Effects
A total of six reports were produced by the panel. [18]
The success and overall positive feedback of the panel inspired the Council to keep going with citizens' panels and to have a standing panel every year to deliberate on issues regarding the community.
Analysis and Lessons Learned
It was noted that the level of interest in taking part in the standing citizens’ panel was three times higher than interest in the 2021 Citizens’ Panel that inspired this. This could be due to publicity of the 2021 panel and/or the use of endorsement quotes by 2021 panel members in the invites for this panel. [19]
Due to the hybrid format, there were some technological challenges. To mitigate that, facilitators paired more “tech savvy” panelists with those who needed some assistance. [20]
Panelists commented on a range of things they liked, wanted and were curious about regarding the citizens’ panel. Some things they liked were deliberations and hearing perspectives they may not usually hear, meeting new people and “working across generations”, and the respectful way deliberations took place. Some things panelists wanted more of included having more young people on the panel, having the work they do enrich the community, deciding on a topic themselves instead of being given topics by the council, and meeting in person more (however, some preferred online meetings). Things the panelists were curious about at the end of the process was how their recommendations would be received by the community, what is next for the citizens’ panel and what their work/contributions amounted to. [21]
As the panel sat for a year, there were regular check-ins with panel members by the council to ensure they were supported and prepared for the next meeting. It was also noted that panel members were very engaged in the process and left with newfound respect for the work of council, as well as new connections with each other. [22]
See Also
References
[1] MosaicLab (n.d.) Case Study: Mornington Peninsula Shire Standing Citizens’ Panel. Available at: https://www.mosaiclab.com.au/news-all-posts/case-study-mornington-peninsula-shire-standing-panel
[2] Mornington Peninsula Shire (n.d.). Citizens’ Panel 2022. Available at: https://shape.mornpen.vic.gov.au/citizens-panel-2022
[3] MosaicLab (2022) Mornington Peninsula Shire Citizens’ Panel: Process Report. Available at: https://hdp-au-prod-app-mpen-shape-files.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/9416/6849/6723/MPS_Citizens_Panel_-_Process_Report_-_Mar-Nov_2022.pdf
[4] MosaicLab (n.d.) Case Study: Mornington Peninsula Shire Standing Citizens’ Panel. Available at: https://www.mosaiclab.com.au/news-all-posts/case-study-mornington-peninsula-shire-standing-panel
[5] Ibid.
[6] [2] MosaicLab (2022) Mornington Peninsula Shire Citizens’ Panel: Process Report. Available at: https://hdp-au-prod-app-mpen-shape-files.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/9416/6849/6723/MPS_Citizens_Panel_-_Process_Report_-_Mar-Nov_2022.pdf
[7] MosaicLab (n.d.) Case Study: Mornington Peninsula Shire Standing Citizens’ Panel. Available at: https://www.mosaiclab.com.au/news-all-posts/case-study-mornington-peninsula-shire-standing-panel
[8] MosaicLab (2022) Mornington Peninsula Shire Citizens’ Panel: Process Report. Available at: https://hdp-au-prod-app-mpen-shape-files.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/9416/6849/6723/MPS_Citizens_Panel_-_Process_Report_-_Mar-Nov_2022.pdf
[9] Mornington Peninsula Shire (n.d.). Citizens’ Panel 2022. Available at: https://shape.mornpen.vic.gov.au/citizens-panel-2022
[10] Sortition Foundation (2022) Advising Council – the Mornington Peninsula Shire’s Standing Citizens’ Panel. Available at: https://www.sortitionfoundation.org/mornpen_2022_report
[11] Mornington Peninsula Shire (n.d.). Citizens’ Panel 2022. Available at: https://shape.mornpen.vic.gov.au/citizens-panel-2022
[12] Sortition Foundation (2022) Advising Council – the Mornington Peninsula Shire’s Standing Citizens’ Panel. Available at: https://www.sortitionfoundation.org/mornpen_2022_report
[13] MosaicLab (n.d.) Case Study: Mornington Peninsula Shire Standing Citizens’ Panel. Available at: https://www.mosaiclab.com.au/news-all-posts/case-study-mornington-peninsula-shire-standing-panel
[14] Ibid.
[15] Mornington Peninsula Shire (n.d.). Citizens’ Panel 2022. Available at: https://shape.mornpen.vic.gov.au/citizens-panel-2022
[16] Ibid.
[17] MosaicLab (2022) Mornington Peninsula Shire Citizens’ Panel: Process Report. Available at: https://hdp-au-prod-app-mpen-shape-files.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/9416/6849/6723/MPS_Citizens_Panel_-_Process_Report_-_Mar-Nov_2022.pdf
[18] MosaicLab (n.d.) Case Study: Mornington Peninsula Shire Standing Citizens’ Panel. Available at: https://www.mosaiclab.com.au/news-all-posts/case-study-mornington-peninsula-shire-standing-panel
[19] Sortition Foundation (2022) Advising Council – the Mornington Peninsula Shire’s Standing Citizens’ Panel. Available at: https://www.sortitionfoundation.org/mornpen_2022_report
[20] MosaicLab (n.d.) Case Study: Mornington Peninsula Shire Standing Citizens’ Panel. Available at: https://www.mosaiclab.com.au/news-all-posts/case-study-mornington-peninsula-shire-standing-panel
[21] Ibid.
[22] Ibid.